


Those Three Words

by DktrAgonizer



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bullying, Child Abuse, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, M/M, Slow Burn, pre criminal au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-14 04:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11775837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DktrAgonizer/pseuds/DktrAgonizer
Summary: A look into the lives and developing friendship of Edward Nygma and Jonathan Crane had they attended the same high school.





	1. Chapter 1

Jonathan Crane was poor, and he dressed like it. His clothes looked like hand-me-downs; scratchy shirts just a little too big for his gangly frame, and pants that ended well above his ankles. He was also the tallest boy in the entire school, and that combined with his clothes got him noticed.

Edward Nygma did not stand out much. The most noticeable thing about him was his bright red hair, a stark contrast against his dark skin. But he was quiet, if attentive, asking questions only to clarify on any subject he did not already fully understand - and those grew less and less each year.

Edward had no reason to talk with Jonathan for the first year of high school, but he watched him all the same. He was an interesting person; his nose was buried in a book whenever he could get away with it, he hardly spoke to anybody, and he was absolutely brilliant in chemistry class. Partway through his sophomore year, Edward requested to change his dull lab partner out for Jonathan.

Jonathan spoke to him very little, but it was a wonderful match. Highest grades on every experiment, every time. Jon even had to correct Edward on his work once or twice.

He was quiet in class and out of class, despite Edward's attempts to get him to open up. It was a mystery that began to eat at him starting that year; who was this strange, brilliant boy with ill-fitting clothes? The other kids had dubbed him the Scarecrow, which Edward admitted was perhaps the most clever thing they could come up with had their lives depended on it. Jonathan resented the nickname, he could tell; that made everyone else that much eager to use it.

It was no secret to Edward that Jonathan was the subject of bullying - but he'd never quite managed to witness it firsthand until the end of their sophomore year. The simple minded brutes of the school ganged up on him, pushing his skinny frame into a locker and taunting him with jeers and his unwanted nickname.

Edward loathed bullies. The moment he saw what was going on, he tried to step in - but he was ill prepared. He managed nothing but getting his own face thrown onto the floor, and his glasses cracked beyond repair. His father hit him for that when he found out.

The next day, Edward came prepared. He had a new pair of glasses, ones he'd been forced to purchase with his own money (nearly running his small homemade bank empty). He also had a screwdriver hidden in his pants pocket.

It happened outside, this time. One boy booked Jonathan, and they all laughed as he knelt to pick them up out of the dirt. Another boy kicked his books away and trod on his hand.

Edward felt the rage boiling in him at the sight, and at the sound of their moronic, cruel voices as Jonathan pleaded to be left alone. Edward plastered a fake smile onto his face and strode up to the group. His fist closed hard around the screwdriver in his pocket.

“What do you want?” the leader of the boys asked, arms crossed over his chest. “Here to get thrown on the floor again?”

His cronies laughed. “No,” Edward said, his voice kept carefully light. “I'm here to teach you a lesson.” He moved his hand out of his pocket, fast, and jabbed the end of the screwdriver into the boy's leg. He screamed, and the rest of them looked on, stunned, before he yelled at them to fetch somebody. The youngest of the bullies scrambled to obey.

The smile on Edward's face was genuine now as he handed Jonathan’s books back to him. The taller boy met his eyes, his expression holding a mixture of awe and relief.

Edward was suspended for a week after that. It would have been longer, but his homeroom teacher - the one overseeing the robotics club he was part of - testified to his usually exceptional behavior. Edward had always liked her.

His parents knew before he got home that day. He felt the full weight of his father's fury and shame, but he bore each strike without complaint. It had been worth it, after all. Bullies had to be punished.

His father, too, would be punished. Sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just recently got inspired for this idea. I'm of the firm belief that had Edward and Jon met as kids, they would have bonded over some shared traumas. And it would possibly have done a lot of good for them.  
> Please leave a comment if you read, thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

If Jonathan ever noticed the bruises Edward came to school with, he never commented on them. Nor did Edward pry into the curious way Jonathan would change for gym only if nobody else were in the locker room. He  _ wanted  _ to know, certainly; the curiosity burned at him day by day. Perhaps those bullies had done permanent damage. Perhaps somebody else had. Or, more amusingly, perhaps the truth was nothing more than an embarrassing birthmark.

But sometimes… Sometimes Jonathan would come to school on a Monday and be quieter and more withdrawn than normal. Edward made a point to ask him if anything happened, but Jon would just shake his head and change the subject.

Edward could sympathize. Should anybody ask  _ him  _ about his hurts, he doubted he would tell the truth. After all, it wasn't likely to do any good. 

He went prying on his own one day, after Jon came to school on Monday more sullen and jumpy than Edward had ever seen him. He lived with his great grandmother on a farm. (Truly a Scarecrow, Edward thought with some amusement). No siblings. No parents - at least, not in his immediate life.

He wondered about it.

At the end of the day, Jonathan asked if he could walk to Edward's house instead of peeling off for his own like usual. Jonathan had never asked to come over before. Edward agreed.

They walked in silence for a while. “Look,” Edward said at one point as he spied a flock of crows on a nearby stretch of grass. A car passed, and they all took wing. Jonathan let out a sharp breath beside him and cringed, hands flying up to ward his face.

“Are you alright?” Edward asked. He was familiar with phobias, of course, but he had no idea Jonathan had any - let alone any so  _ visceral. _

Jon gave him a tight nod, hands lowering almost self-consciously. “I don't like birds.” An obvious statement. He was trying to sound calm; it didn't quite work.

For some reason, Edward felt compelled to reach out and touch him, to reassure him somehow. He lifted a hand, then hesitated. Would it be too much? He wasn't sure what was appropriate or not. Jonathan was not a very touchy-feely person.

Jonathan gathered himself and resumed walking with a faster pace. His eyes kept flicking upward to track the crows flying overhead. Edward let his hand drop. “My father won't let you in the house,” he said instead. A belated admission. Jonathan didn't reply. There was an awkward pause, then Edward said, “We can go somewhere else for a while.”

“That would be nice.” Jonathan offered him a thin smile.

They went to a nearby cafe and hung around for an hour and a half. Neither of them mentioned the birds; the conversation stayed mostly on school, despite Edward's burning curiosity as to why he didn't want to go straight home in the first place.

They should do this again, Edward thought as they parted ways. Jon’s company was pleasant. It felt nice to have a friend, a real friend. Besides... He could do with spending less time at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts!


	3. Chapter 3

Walking home together became a common occurrence. On the days he didn't have the robotics club, Edward and Jonathan would stop for food after school before parting ways. Sometimes, they would stop somewhere else afterwards and just talk, not once mentioning they both benefitted from the obvious delay in heading home.

This made the end of the school day easier. And what made the school day  _ itself _ easier was the wide berth the usual bullies now gave the both of them. It didn't stop the looks, of course, nor the comments - but it was a vast improvement. 

The semester started to go by quickly. It wasn't until several weeks later, after a rather notable test in history, that Edward found himself unwilling to go to school. His father, as usual, had not taken his 105% score well. He'd accused Edward of cheating, they escalated into an argument, and his father struck him.

His body felt inexplicably heavy the next morning. Getting out of bed was an effort, and so was the short walk to the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror, hands gripping the edge of the sink as he studied the mark on the left side of his face. Still swollen. The shame bubbled in his gut.

He couldn't skip school, of course. His father would like that even less that a perfect score on a test. But he didn't want to go. He didn't want to field the questions (would there even be any?)

Minutes later, he made the decision to get dressed and grab his backpack. When he slipped out the door, instead of heading to the school, he made his way towards Jonathan’s house. He wasn't entirely sure why; he wasn't likely to meet Jonathan. He'd likely make it to school before Edward made it to his house.  Still. It was somewhere to go, somewhere to spend his time. And if he were wrong about the timing…

But he wasn't, of course.

The house was big, even bigger than he'd imagined it to be. It didn't quite fit with Jon’s apparent poorness; it must be a family home, already paid off. He wondered if the fall into poverty was a relatively new one.

The cornfields were even bigger. Edward had never seen a farm up close before. He wasn't even sure this could strictly be called one; there were no signs of livestock, nor other crops.

Edward came to a stop beside the fence and gazed out over the corn. The fields were peppered here and there with scarecrows, and he let a corner of his mouth lift in a humorless smile. He wondered if the bullies knew.

Two people. There were only two people in the big house. Did they work in the fields all by themselves? Did they have help? Or… Jonathan came to mind and Edward hummed. There was no way one boy could work the fields alone… was there?

Edward resumed his walk, letting his eyes unabashedly study every inch of the property. Near the house stood another building, one that looked like a dilapidated church. It clearly had seen no crowds nor maintenance work in several years. Above, a murder of crows swarmed.  Curiosity brought him to the doors, but he did not go inside. He wouldn't risk the roof falling in on him. He peered inside for a moment before walking away.

He wanted to see inside the house, to see how a family of two filled so much space. But that was a level of trespassing he wouldn't dare chance. He doubted Jonathan would ever invite him over, either; by his estimation, Ms. Keeny wouldn't even entertain the thought.

Well. That seemed to be all there was to see. Edward left, deciding to head into town. He would kill time window shopping, maybe even find some trinkets to slip into his pockets. He needed more things to work on in his free time at home. Watches were always a delight to take apart and examine.

\---

Hours later, Edward found himself in the cafe he and Jon frequented after school. He claimed a table near the window and sat his backpack down. There was a brand new watch on his wrist, and he glanced at it. School had just left out. Maybe…

He didn't want to be hopeful, but it didn't matter. Eventually, he spotted the tall, lanky form of Jonathan Crane coming down the sidewalk. Edward lifted a hand and Jon saw him through the window. He raised a hand in return, then slipped inside and took the seat across from Edward.

“You weren't at school today,” Jon said simply, a note of question in his voice.

Edward shrugged. “I wasn't feeling well.”

Jonathan studied him, and Edward didn't miss the way his eyes trained onto the bruise on his face. Don't ask, Edward thought. He had an excuse prepped, of course, but he still didn't want to deal with the bother.

Jon hesitated. “Are you feeling better?”

Edward smiled. “Marginally. Did I miss anything important?”

Jonathan filled him in, and eventually surprised him by handing over a small stack of papers he pulled from his own backpack. Edward didn't know what to do with the fact that Jonathan had taken it upon himself to bring the work Edward missed in class back for him. It wasn't anything hard - it never was - and he could get it all done in little more than an hour.

That was… strange. It felt nice, but weird in a way he couldn't quite name. Nobody had ever showed him such a display of thoughtfulness before. Edward accepted the papers with a quiet “Thank you” and Jonathan smiled at him. The sight caused his stomach to clench.  _ Oh.  _ That was also strange.

He could do the work right here, right now, and save himself from having to do it later at home. But he didn't want to. Instead, he filed the papers into his backpack and kept his focus on his conversation with Jon.

He didn't bring up his visit to Jonathan's home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts, I thrive on feedback!


End file.
